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Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

philipbohun.com

141–150 of 203 posts

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#141

Microsoft needs to repeat their Edge trick. Migrate Windows to the Linux kernel and get Linux compartibility out of the box. Immense research of running Windows programs on Linux was already done by Wine/Proton teams.

The problem is Microsoft, not windows

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#142

No they don't. Why should they bother? * Costs them money to make * Costs them money to maintain * Will only be used by a TINY subset of ultra-enthusiasts (no, neither HN or Reddit are majorities) * Every user on it is less telemetry and less advertisement The reality is that most users don't care, and will just use whatever seems to work fine. Finding out that 'oh yeah, feature/software X does not work on Windows Li…

With over 1 billion monthly active users, reddit is not a minority and is a significant fraction of internet users. Btw, people complain about Windows bloat on Whatsapp too. Now, that IS a majority of internet users.

It's a bit of a stretch to assume that every single user on reddit would reinstall Windows for this, or even as much as 5% of them.

Or that they all even run Windows in the first place.

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#144
post #5

LTSC, surprised the post doesn't mention that. No forced feature updates, no unnecessary preinstalled apps. I'm using them for years without any problems. There was only one extreme edge case where an app didn't work because it was hard coded to only work on Windows 10 Pro and couldn't do anything with the LTSC version. Yes you can't get it legally as a regular end user but MSFT also doesn't care about piracy either.…

> Yes you can't get it legally as a regular end user That's why it's not mentioned, it's not a product for "normal users", the audience described in the post.

You can get it legally. Just gotta find a smaller VAR and convince them to sell you a single seat for testing purposes

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#145
post #5

LTSC, surprised the post doesn't mention that. No forced feature updates, no unnecessary preinstalled apps. I'm using them for years without any problems. There was only one extreme edge case where an app didn't work because it was hard coded to only work on Windows 10 Pro and couldn't do anything with the LTSC version. Yes you can't get it legally as a regular end user but MSFT also doesn't care about piracy either.…

There's even Win 11 LTSC although I have yet to test it

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#146
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that's also kind of the point too: Windows Lite exists but MSFT is "gatkeeping" it to enterprise users only. Probably because they are paying for it.

Not even enterprise customers are allowed to use LTSC. Only hardware OEMs. It's asinine. They could charge $1000+ for LTSC licenses, but my data and digital sovereignty is apparently worth even more to them.

Seconding the correction that LTSC is not restricted to hardware OEMs. I work for a multinational construction materials company and we image LTSC machines day in day out.

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#148

No they don't. Why should they bother? * Costs them money to make * Costs them money to maintain * Will only be used by a TINY subset of ultra-enthusiasts (no, neither HN or Reddit are majorities) * Every user on it is less telemetry and less advertisement The reality is that most users don't care, and will just use whatever seems to work fine. Finding out that 'oh yeah, feature/software X does not work on Windows Li…

I agree with your reasons but not with "the majority doesn't care". Sure they do. The internet is filled with Windows hate, and Reddit isn't as small as you remember it to be. The majority has no other option. Linux is too much trouble to learn and Mac requires a new device. What else are you supposed to do?

Hey, Mac is a huge learning experience too. If your mind is set in the ways of Windows, you are gonna have a bad time when you assume Mac is just as bad (easy example: using clunky Windows workarounds to avoid problems that don't exist on Mac). You almost become oblivious to the straightforward way of doing things because Windows is so fucky. It can be really hard to get an average person used to Windows to find value in Mac, because they don't naturally see the simplification to their workflow, they just expect Mac to work the same way (ie, for their workarounds to function the same way).

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno that it's that easy to administer --- time was, one of the concerns about NeXTstep was that it was so easy to setup/administer and so reliable that there was so little work involved, IT departments had to be downsized --- say rather that administering Windows is in-line w/ current budget projections/expectations.

It is easy to administer. Nothing come close to Active Directory + Group Policy, not even Entra ID + Intune. Windows in the enterprise is just a completely different beast to what you see in the home, or even small businesses.

If it's so easy to administer, why is my work computer a never-ending series of updates and reboots and annoyances such as a printer list which scrolls through several screen worths of clicks before I can find the right printer?

Re: Microsoft Needs Windows Lite

#150

OP says Windows needs builders to make applications and that is what Windows Lite would enable (or expand) but then says Windows Lite shouldn't include .NET one of the primary frameworks to build applications on Windows.

The .NET that comes with Windows is the ridiculously outdated .NET Framework 4.8. But most greenfield projects should have been using the newer .NET (previously .NET Core) for several years now, which is installed separately or deployed as self-contained apps.
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